January Newsletter (click to read newsletter)

Welcome to the New Year. We sincerely hope everyone had a happy and safe holiday season. While we all enjoyed the festivities, football, parades, presents, and parties, our Armed Forces personnel were busy defending our freedom in far away hostile lands. We respectfully ask that everyone take a moment to remember those folks and think a kind thought for their safe return. Two of our own sons proudly serve in the Military and we know all too well the sacrifices they make and the dangers they face so all of us may sleep soundly at night.
 

In this month's edition

1948 Oldsmobile Sedanette

1930 Chevy Coupe

Destined for Pebble Beach

Our British Challenge

1958 Buick Convertible

1967 Oldsmobile 442

Restoration vs. New Car

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January, 2010

1948 Oldsmobile Sedanette. Back from media blasting and separated from the chassis we are preparing to move into the next stage. The frame has been cleaned and prepped for rebuilding and the body is reinforced and awaiting its modifications. The engine and drive train are being processed and rebuilt. For a 1948 that sat outside in the Ridgefield area for quite along time, the body is in extremely good condition with very little rust.

1930 Chevy Coupe. Still fine tuning some details and finalizing the steering column and linkage. Any time you install a modern power plant in an older car such as this, you encounter many fitment challenges. A modern V8 is considerably wider than the original engine! The brakes system is installed, the accelerator pedal is installed, and we are almost ready to remove the body again to paint the frame. Lots of time and labor has gone into this car, but the results are pleasing.  

Destined for Pebble Beach. The 39 Buick is in the final stages of assembly. Mostly trim and wiring the dash and gauges now. We still have a few trim pieces that are still out for reconditioning. Our biggest challenge now is keeping this beautiful car clean and covered, protected from the activities of the shop. One thing that we must avoid is any damage to the paint at this point in the project. Critical parts and areas are masked off or covered with plastic. Keep an eye on our gallery page; we will post pics very soon.

Our British challenge. The 74 Triumph TR6 is currently on hold pending decisions on which direction to go with the frame. There are a few factory fabricated options available as well as adapting the body to another frame such as a Corvette. This would give the car the drivability of the Corvette, but would require significant widening and lengthening of the body.


1958 Buick Convertible. Still fitting the body panels, dash, and other parts. As with any car in this stage of reconditioning, lots of adjustment and fine tuning is required to get all the parts to fit properly. As you attempt to fit things, slight irregularities become apparent revealing a little damage here, a little damage there that all must be corrected first. The car really looks good overall and should be a real head turner when completed.

1967 Oldsmobile 442.  A new addition to the shop this month. The owner decided it was time to take from a sitter to a driver and we are getting it in shape. We are carefully inspecting and assessing what needs to be done, and beginning to fit the body panels and address fitment and repair problems along the way. The car has a great deal of potential and is in relatively good shape. The owner understands his project well and has thought things out well. Not going to do a lot of customizing, more of a restoration project. After all it’s already a 442! This will be a very nice muscle car to see back on the road again.


Restoration vs. New Car

All of us at one time or another have gazed at the new, shiny, sleek car sitting on the dealer’s lot and fantasized about motoring down the road in it with our best gal by our side.  The allure of that new car smell and zero mileage odometer are enticing indeed. We smile and wonder at the fun and adventure we could have in that new car. Then we get to the nitty gritty, the price.

Wow, they just don’t give them away do they? Even with all the incentives and programs, we still must shell out a hefty amount every month for the thrill of that new car. Yet as soon as we drive it off the lot, it’s a used car and the odometer will not stay at zero will it? Before long the new car is a used car and that wonderful smell has been replaced with fast food and wet floor mat smell. In ten years, twenty years, even thirty years, will that new car still be around? Will you even care if it is? While we ponder these things, our old car sits in the garage or yard waiting to be appreciated once again. We kept that old car for a reason didn’t we? Surely it could have been sold or scrapped for at least a few dollars? But we decided to keep it instead.

According to a report by NADAguides.com, “the average increase of collector car values from February 2004 to February 2008 was 36 percent, more than double the S&P 500 Index increase and the Dow Jones Industrial Average increase of 16 percent respectively during that same time frame”. So maybe we kept it because we knew it was a good investment? A 1972 Nova rose in value from $2,500 to $11,100 between 2004 and 2008, a 335% increase. A 1970 Challenger rose from $7,400 to $28,400 during the same period, a 302% increase. (According to NADA). On average, vehicles with a value of less than $25,000 saw an increase of 35% in value. Not bad, given that the new car is devaluating every day you own it.

Now that we have determined that we kept that old car because we were smart enough to know the value of the car and that it would outpace the stock market, what do we do next? Setting my luke warm coffee down to scratch my head, I contemplate an answer? With my wife smiling lovingly from across the room, the answer is easy. Get it out of the garage or yard and restore it. Bring it back to its original or even customized greatness. Relive the joy of driving it once again and make the wife happy to have the garage back at the same time.

Work with a personal advisor or technician to find the latest and most effective means of completing the work. Remember this is an investment in both happiness and money so choose wisely and proceed with caution. Do your research and establish a realistic budget. Break the project down into manageable size chunks and create a time table to stay on track. To avoid the “almost done but not quite blues”, remember to allow 10% to 20% of your budget for unexpected things or changes you decide to make along the way. Now take good look at that beautiful investment you have and smile. Your careful planning and ability to make sound investment decisions is about to pay off!

Jeff